Now normally this is the bane of the gardener, since it means it’s too hot to grow sweet, tender salad greens until summer is almost over. But the slight bitterness and firmer texture of bolted lettuces allow other treatments to offer themselves, (though I likes me some bitter in my salad too.) Mash makes good use of midsummer lettuce trees, and so does wilting or even braising; try it and be delighted. Plus you can bring one huge head to a party and make a salad for 12 with no problem. I am really enjoying the learning that comes with a garden, and the appreciation for subtle differences in flavor and texture as plants move through their life cycle.
Tonight, a tofu coconut curry with beans, kale, and tomatoes from the garden, and a 2003 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sclossberg Riesling Spätlese.
I’ve protected my lettuce against bolting by shading it. Duh. I know. I’m not the first to figure this out.
But it has worked well.
Seasonally, though, the lettuce is pooped out. We’re just gonna eat it all up.
As for your bitter harvest, Sam made soup! Go see.
I didn’t get around to building a shade for the bed, bud I did sow summer lettuces a while back and they’re perfect now, as is the sorrel. In another week or so I’m going to plant the fall crop.